


Hourglass

by letusridetodestiny



Category: Merlin (TV), Merthur - Fandom, bbc - Fandom
Genre: Birthday, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-09
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2018-01-04 03:17:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1075896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letusridetodestiny/pseuds/letusridetodestiny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin has lived many years past Arthur and yet there is one holiday he had forgotten during all that time. This is a birthday gift to my friend Molly, who has recently started watching Merlin and I wanted to give her something so yeah....check her blog out <a href="http://momopeachchild.tumblr.com/">here</a> I really hope she enjoys it and so do you! Thanks!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hourglass

The streets were bustling outside the London apartment’s window. The room was warm with rays of the sun creeping up the white sheets of the bed. A mop of blond hair stirred under the blankets. A murmur of groans could be heard from the body underneath the sheets. He has still not grown accustom to waking up in the earlier hours of the day, unlike his love who had been used to for so long.  The sound of his groans entered the air and mingled with the sound of footsteps and running water from another room in the apartment. The blue walls adorned with relics from the past and photos of current events. He had lived quite a life without him he thought when he first saw the room and had continued to feel the same every night they would retire to the room either entangled in the other’s arms while they shared passionate kisses or when they would slowly enter, both tired from the day’s events having no other interest other than just listening to the other breathe next to them as they slept. He ran a hand through his blond locks before wiping his lips to rid himself of the drool that had escaped his lips earlier in the night.

He pulled himself up resting on the wall behind the bed keeping his gaze locked on the window where loud car horns could be heard. The sheets were cold next to the spot where the raven-haired man was sleeping earlier that night. Arthur smiled as rested his hand on the pillow where his boyfriend’s head was previously running his thumb over the place as if he was still there. His gaze was still held by the bright scenery outside the window. He had grown used to the city now and the fact things were much different than they were back then. At least he still had one consistent thing in his life.

Merlin pushed the ajar door open, peeking his head in before seeing Arthur on the bed almost fully awake by then. He smiled making his way over to the man. He was clothed by then, in a suit and tie that looked like they fit much better than the previous outfits he had seen him in in photos, sometimes he missed the scarf and tunic though. The blond smiled at the sight of his boyfriend making to say a few words of good morning when a yawn emerged from his lips causing him to stop his conversation starter. He shook his head trying to rid himself of the yawn and once it had run its course he smiled sleepily up at Merlin before parting his lips and spoke.

“You have to work today?” he asked, wondering why he was, he normally got today off. Arthur furrowed his brow, ignoring the foreign swearing coming from on the street below their apartment. He closed his eyes momentarily waiting for his self to fully awake. He was answered with a nod and a quick response.

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s a Thursday, I always work on Thursdays. I left some breakfast for you in the kitchen, see you tonight.” Merlin responded quickly before he placed a kiss on Arthur’s lips. He could never grow used to the feeling he felt when Merlin placed his lips on his. It felt right and warm, it just felt like happiness. He frowned slightly when their lips parted not only because he would have to say goodbye to his love for another day but because he didn’t remember why today was so important. He swallowed the frown though and smiled at the man who grabbed his suitcase from the floor and began making his way for the door.

“Have a nice day! Love you.” He said not sure if he got a response from Merlin before the front door was closed and he was left alone once more. He frowned and lied back down. Maybe he should just sleep the whole day but he didn’t feel like that was what he wanted to do. This was normally Merlin’s favorite day, he didn’t get why he didn’t remember it. Arthur sighed and turned on his side thinking about the first day he learned about it. It was a long time ago, too long for his memory to remember every detail like clothes or events that were happening later in the day. There was something though, something that was major to him now that seemed to be non-existent now.

“Merlin, you can’t have a week off. I have blah-blah to get ready for and I need you here for it.” Arthur remembered saying still dressed in his night clothes when the question for a vacation was sprung upon him. He was irritated then having just woken up to find his servant asking for favors. The servant hadn’t even been working for him for longer than a month and was already expecting a vacation. He knew the man could be trusted to keep up with the work load. The sun was casting light into the room that hit his blond locks like it had done on that real morning and not in his memory. He ran a hand through his hair remembering that week. Merlin still left, returning without much of anything except for a jacket that had been patched and a brighter demeanor.

Arthur felt rude as he remembered that year, the year he cared more about his social events than the enjoyment of his servant and his friend. He still felt bad about that in the following year as he tried his best to make it up but all he could give was a week’s vacation and enough food for him on the journey home. It passed like that for many years, Merlin getting the week off and would return happier than he was in Camelot. He hated that fact.

He climbed out of the white sheets of the bed, walking past the happy memories Merlin had framed on the wall to keep in his life forever to the dresser where only a few photos of Merlin and he rested. When they had gone to Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, and basically everything Merlin considered a tourist location. He smiled at them, he was so amazed by everything when he returned and now he had just grown accustom to everything. It felt strange to be so comfortable at how his life had worked out. He guessed it was all he could do. He opened the drawers pulling out a pair of jeans, a t-shirt from a recent trip to Wales, and a dress shirt. He didn’t bother to bathe that morning, it took too long and he had a lot to do.

The London streets were full of people bustling and carrying on with their own business not realizing they were a few feet away from a king.  Arthur guessed he had grown used to it by now. Rarely did people give him a second glance unlike when he was back in Camelot when people would give him a bow when he passed them on the stone roads. He missed it sometimes but sometimes he just missed feeling at home in a kingdom where he lived in a castle and not a rather small flat that Merlin said was normal in these times. The blond ran quickly across the street watching the glowing light that would tell him when he shouldn’t be walking across the road and when it finally blinked to “Don’t Walk” he was safely across the road and into a nearby shop.

Arthur wandered through the aisles looking at the various objects that he wanted to use to help his love celebrate. As he contemplated the choices on sale at the store he remembered the year Merlin had stayed in Camelot for the holiday. He still did very little with Arthur other than complain about how he could not return home due to King Uther’s orders. He felt guilty after hearing his father’s orders but Merlin obeyed them and it turned to be in his favor as it was the year he decided to get a gift for the man. He didn’t know why it had struck him to get his manservant a present but the mood stroke him and he made the purchase. The days following were ones filled with butterflies in his stomach whenever he was about to give the man the present.

There was a large question in his head whenever he was about to give the man the present, why was he acting like this? He was acting like a handmaiden whenever he was around the dark-haired man. It eventually became the day of the actual holiday, he had given the man the day off it was the least he could do. The rest of the day he spent pacing his room his steps being the only noise that entered the empty room. He spoke to himself, telling himself to stop being such a baby and just do it. It was late that night when he finished his pacing and pushed himself towards the physician’s quarters. He took the steps one at a time, watching his hands shake on the less than perfectly wrapped box.

He swallowed thickly at the door, his toes pressed closely to the wood door. Arthur was getting as close as he could without having to actually push himself to do what he told himself he was going here to do. He took in a breath looking up as he shook out his hands as if shaking out his nerves would give him the energy to finally push open the damn door. Arthur closed his eyes, shielding the blues of his irises with the apricot color of his eyelids.   

“Arthur, you have faced armies and mythical creatures that would send any other man running, open the damn door.” He spoke to himself quietly surprisingly enough it didn’t work. When his eyelids lifted he was still looking at the wooden door, his hands still shaking on the box. He cringed with anger at himself before placing the box on the floor to the left of the door so the physician wouldn’t kick it. He ran a hand through his blond locks, he was angry with himself and it grew as he quickly knocked on the door before he ran down the stairs back to the safety of his own quarters where he wouldn’t have to worry about seeing Merlin till the following day.

“Would that be cash or credit, sir?” the cashier asked at the store that slowly brought his attention back to where he was currently and not where he had now recently wished to be.  It was easier there he guessed, he understood transactions there and not credit that Merlin had tried explaining to him multiple times. He sighed and smiled at the woman before pulling out the allowance Merlin had begun to give him. It was still foreign to him as he pulled at the dollars and coins that he would figure out eventually. With a little assistance he pulled out the right amount of cash to afford everything he had gathered up and now they were all bagged and in his hands. He really just wanted to be home with Merlin again.

“Thank you.” He stated before departing the store and heading across the street and back onto the road that would take him home as his mine carried on back to the day after he had stupidly left the box outside Merlin’s door instead of just giving it to him. His morning began with him tangled in his red blankets almost completely forgetting the night before that was until Merlin woke him up with his normal annoying rhymes.

“Let’s have you, lazy daisy.” Merlin chimed opening the curtains letting in the sun that he had no desire to see. He turned on his side and glared at the dark haired man who only grinned at him. Then his stomach sank when he saw the light green fabric wrapped around his neck. Arthur watched the fabric praying he didn’t know who it was from. He yelled at himself for being so stupid as to give him a present. He was his manservant and whatever he was feeling for him could not be two sided. He shook his head and turned his attention to the canopy of his bed that would hopefully offer less stress to him.

“Come on, Arthur Pendragon, you have faced armies and mythical creatures that would send any other man running, I doubt you’re afraid of getting out of bed though I may be wrong.” Merlin said pulling his red sheets off of him at least that was before he looked at him quickly with wide eyes. The raven haired man smiled innocently though Arthur knew he knew it was him. His manservant began going about his duties whistling as he sat there with his head in his hands. He couldn’t believe he had done that to himself.

Arthur unlocked the apartment with his keys, the lock sticking like normal. He sighed as he pushed it with a bit of force to get it to open. He smiled when it opened widely revealing the dark apartment. The blond smiled at it, it was his home now and he really liked saying it was his and Merlin’s. It was something that could never be said in Camelot. That the kingdom was just as much of Merlin’s as it was his because he truly felt he owed him everything, with or without knowing about the magical assistance Merlin had given him. He brought the plastics bags over to the counter and began pulling out the decorations and various foods he didn’t think he would be able to cook.

He began with the decorations, putting up a banner as he thought on his personal favorite memory of this holiday, the one where Merlin and he were together and spent the entire day acting like idiots just to please themselves. He nodded happily to himself as he remembered how he did the same on that day.

Arthur awoke entangled in Merlin’s paler limbs. It was earlier than he would normally awake than a year ago when Merlin didn’t share the bed with him. He yawned, thinking about the day he had planned for the two of them. Arthur believed himself to be very romantic. He wanted to make this year’s holiday the best, the one Merlin would remember forever. To be completely honest with himself, it didn’t turn out to be the greatest. It rained horribly, cancelling all outside activities he had planned and there were a few, like a picnic. His royal duties got in the way for a large majority of the day but when night beckoned it was the best night he had ever had.

Merlin and he made their way to the forest, the mud ruining his boots but eventually they reached the cave with the above opening that let in the starlight. He played here when he was a child, it felt like he was at peace whenever he looked up at the stars above him and that is where he wanted to ask Merlin’s hand that never came of course, he lost his life and ended up sleeping for thousands of years instead of spending his life with Merlin.

In the cave he gave Merlin his present for the year, a gold pendant with a blue gem that glowed like the moon. He smiled at the rock when he discovered it earlier that year and he knew it was perfect for his love. Arthur had it turned into a necklace for his love, it was something that he hoped would make up for the years he was a prat and the following years he never picked up on his manservant’s signals. He was just happy now that he had discovered them.

The jingling of keys pulled Arthur’s attention away from the cake he was trying to place correctly. He quickly flipped the switch to the kitchen ducking behind the counter like he had seen so many characters on the box Merlin called the television do and then waited. The lock was unlocked and the door let out a soft creak as it was pulled open by Merlin.  His breath sounded loud to him as he waited.  He felt it was amplified ten times its normal volume but as Merlin questioned the dark with his name he knew it wasn’t as loud as he suspected. Then the light was switched on, bringing a burst of light that illuminated the entire scene. Arthur took in a breath before jumping up with a wide grin.

“Surprise!” he exclaimed smiling at the raven haired man who seemed to take aback by the decorations. Merlin furrowed his brow reading the banner and looking over the decorations. It had been a long time since he last celebrated his birthday. He attempted to but year after year it was a disappointment that gave him heartache. He had forgotten years ago when it was. He watched Arthur who was looking at him with a confused expression. How had he remembered for so long?

“Happy Birthday, Merlin.” Arthur said simply walking over to the raven haired man who felt himself smiling at the man. It had hurt for so long, remembering this day and now it felt warm again. He hugged the man and let himself enjoy being in his warmth knowing now how valuable it was to him.

“I was going to put your age on the cake but then I realized I have no idea how old you are now except for just old, old as balls.” Arthur joked with a grin as Merlin glared at him. He really did miss this man and the time they spent together. He was glad he was back and now he would most likely never lose him again at least he hoped he wouldn’t. The raven haired man looking up at him with a small smile of enjoyment leaned in closer. Arthur could feel his heat on his lips.

“Shut up, you arse.” Merlin said before he took away the separation of their lips and soon they were entangled again taking each other’s breath as if it was the only source of air they had. Merlin wrapped his arms around the blond’s neck and used his slight height difference to his advantage, deepening the kiss. Arthur pushed harder onto his former manservant’s lips, hearing a small moan that made him grin and continue his conquering of Merlin’s lips. Moments passed until they could no longer just exchange air they needed fresh air, they separated stealing small kisses as they did so. Merlin leaned his forehead on Arthur’s, listening to the king breath heavily in time with his own breathes.

“I missed you.” He said closing his eyes and remembering all the amazing birthday’s he had had and finally added this one.

 


End file.
